ILGA applauds the first ever Report on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity issued by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

The Human Rights Council resolution 17/19 initiated by the South African Government, had requested the High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a study on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity.

ILGA, its members and Human Rights organizations around the world, welcomed the release of the first ever United Nations report on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity on 15 December 2011.

The Human Rights Council resolution 17/19 initiated by the South African Government, had requested the High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a study on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity.

The report documents widespread discrimination and violence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people worldwide, and calls on States to apply the international legal framework to end these human rights violations. In its ten recommendations the report calls on all governments to implement their commitments and obligations under international law, by protecting the rights of all persons, regardless of their sexuality, gender identity or expression. This includes protection and recognition of the self-identified gender of trans persons. It also includes protection from violence, killings, torture and abuse, including at the hands of family and community-members. The report calls for proper investigation of all reported killings and other serious incidents of violence, take measures to prevent torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity, repeal laws used to criminalize individuals on grounds of homosexuality and ensure that other criminal laws are not used to harass or detain people based on their sexuality or gender identity and expression.

ILGA co-secretary general Gloria Careaga said: "It has been a long way, but the inclusion of LGBT rights in the UN reporters work was the first step to get a global report about what´s really happening all over the world. Traditions and cultural practices cannot be an excuse to make invisible all these human rights violations that affect so many people. These argumentations become ridiculous when we are talking about lives, security and self determination. This report will bring us a strong tool to go for the abolition of all kind of discrimination and criminalization of LGBT people."

ILGA co-secretary general Renato Sabbadini added: “If the life and safety of so many people around the world were not at stake, it would be even interesting and funny to see what kind of clutching at straws the 76 States currently criminalizing same-sex consensual sexual activities among adults will devote themselves to, after the issue of this extremely well written report, as no serious person will be able to argue for discrimination or criminalization on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity ever again.”

The report is expected to be presented to the Human Rights Council at its next scheduled meeting on 7 March 2012.

For more information:ILGA, Renato Sabbadini: +393356067158

The report (document number A/HRC/19/41) is available in English, Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, Arabic at: